A Systematic Literature Review on Inclusive STEM Education for Students with Disabilities: Technology Integration, Pedagogical Approaches, and Participation Mechanisms

Background STEM education has an important role to play in the Society 5.0 era, but students with disabilities still face various barriers to access, participation, representation, and learning support. Technological advancements offer opportunities to reduce these barriers, but their effectiveness depends on the integration of technology with inclusive pedagogy, accessible instructional design, and institutional support. Methods This study used a systematic literature review (SLR) based on the PRISMA guidelines. The literature was obtained from SCOPUS, ERIC, IEEE Xplorer, and Emerald. Of the 292 articles, eight met the inclusion criteria. Article quality was assessed using the QualSyst quality assessment tool based on Kmet et al. (2004), with five quality indicators adapted from a previously published study, while the agreement among the five raters was assessed using Fleiss’ Kappa. Results Technology-assisted inclusive STEM education is implemented in a contextual and adaptive manner through virtual reality, digital storytelling, tactile diagrams, tactile manipulatives, audio-based augmented reality, and adaptive digital resources. Its integration with inclusive pedagogy includes scaffolding, structured activities, personalization, and accessible representations and interactions, with support from teachers, mentors, specialists, and multidisciplinary collaboration. This approach is linked to increased engagement, participation, confidence, autonomy, and STEM competencies. Conclusions Technology-assisted inclusive STEM education is contextual, adaptive, and sustainable. Inclusion does not depend on any specific technology, but rather on its adaptation and integration with inclusive pedagogy, accessible instructional design, and institutional and professional support. Technology, pedagogy, accessibility, and implementation support interact to expand participation and develop the STEM competencies of students with disabilities.